The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-11
THROWN FROM THE TRACK.
Wreck of a Passenger Train on the In
dianapolis and Vincennes Road.
Running at the Rate of Fifty Miles an Hour
Miraculous Escape Of the Passengers.

When passenger train No. H. of the Indianap- !
oils & Vincennes railroad, pulled out of the |
Union Depot last evening, at O'clock, it was
loaded with passengers The train consisted of /
baggage car. smoker and passenger coach.
There were twelve or fifteen ladies in the coach, |
and many children. The train was in charge !
Of P. F. Strip, conductor, and M. NJ. Dorsey, |
engineer. Having left the Union Depot fifteen |
minutes late. Engineer Dorsey began to open
the throttle before the city limits were cleared.
A stop was made at the stockyards, and as
there were no passengers to let off at the ueHt
stop. mile and a half further on Conductor
Strip told Mr.. Dorsey to open her out or they
would rot make Hyndsdale. the first station be-
low Martinsville, in time to sidetrack for the
up-passenger train. The conductor did as he
was directed to. and when the train neared
Beeler's it was flying the rails at the rate of
fifty miles per hour After the stockyards were
passed the conductor began to collect tickets.
He had reached nearly the center of the smok-
ing-car, and was tearing mile slips out of the
thousand mile ticket of John Robbins, travel
ing man of Martinsviiie, when suddenly there
was jerk. Hold on to your seats" was all he
down ten-foot embankment The passengers
grabbed their seats instructed and held on
with death grip until the cars had reached
stand still The women screamed, and the
scene is described by those aboard as frightful
one.
The cause of the accident was a broken rail.
The engine and tender passed over safely, but
when the front wheels of the truck of the
baggage car struck the rail it was out Of place.
and the car, followed by the two behind it,
dashed down the embankment to the right of
the track. The baggage car landed fully
twenty-five feet from the track and, after
turning over twice, rested on its side. The
smoker" breaking loose from the baggage car,
did not get quite so far from the track, and
| landed on Its side with the rear end on the
track. The rear coach was not separated from
the preceding car, and rested on its side length
wise, with the track distance of fifteen or
twenty feet from it.
Strange as it may seem the cars held together
through the fearful fall and the lives Of all the
passengers were spared. The stoves of the
cars, which are of new style, with fastenings
on the doors which keep them shut on all occa-
! sions. saved the cars from being destroyed By
fire. The door of the stove in the rear car,
however, came open. and the Goals rolled out on
the floor. One man from Paragon, who kept
his presence Of mind was fastened near
the stove. but in reach of it. and, with
| the shovel. he put the Goals back into
| the stove and averted fire. The seats
! in all the cars were jnstied ont of their places
| and half the passengers were fastened when they
| came to their senses. AS as the situation
was realized by those in the cars, who were not
in any way hurt, they set about to relieve those
who were suffering from injuries. Many in
| both the coaches who were imprisoned thought
| that they we're dangerously hurt, but 1t was
| soon evident that no one was dangerously in
| jured. The tranmen, none of whom were hurt
beyond slight bruises. speedily got every body
out of the cars The injured are as follows:
| g. I. ALLEN Lyons-Leg broken and bruised
| about the head.
MRS. RIPLEY HAYWORTH. Mooresville--Shoul.
| der dislocated and cut OH the forehead.
| JOHN HATFIELD Warrington Hand badly
| burned, having been thrown against the stove. He
| had a leg broken hours previously by fall on
the sidewalk in Indianapolis.
/ MISS IDA TIORNBURGH, Martinsville-Cut
| across the forehead
DEBORAH GREGORY, Mooresvile-sight scalp
JAMES BARRETT, wilbur-scalp wound.
MARY JOSEPH. nun, Indianapolis-Wrist
broken.
Rms SMl II, cOl0rcu, 1nQanOla-f ace burned by
falling against stove.
b. r. ALTON, Bicknell-Bone of right leg tract
| ured.
JOHN QUACKENBUSH Sheridan-Leg broken.
L. g. QUACkENBUSH, Sheridan-Leg bruised.
There many more persons who re-
&C.. .ioht inries and in fact there were but
few of the seventy i've passengers VIC ssAra not
more or less bruised. When all the persons
were out of the wreck telegram was sent from
the stockyards for the wrecking train and
most of the passengers were brought back to the
city, and received medical treatment under the
direction of the officers of the railroad company.
They were taken to the hotels, and will be made
comfortable until they are able to return home.
Superintendent Mansfield gave his personal at
tentlon to their wants, ard will see that they
ceive the best of attention 1T 9:30 o'clock a
special frai left for Vincennes. and all those
but slightly injured returned to their homes on
it.
It seems little less than a miracle that some
one was not killed. The embankment whore
the train went down is ten or twelve feet high,
and nothing but the stanch build OF the cars